Many small businesses have yet to realize the potential of user-generated content (UGC). UGC encompasses various types such as social media posts, reviews, and customer images and serves as a valuable tool for enhancing brand presence.
According to recent reports, a majority of consumers, 60 percent in particular, consider user-generated content to be the most genuine and impactful form of content. Furthermore, this genuineness plays a crucial role in driving sales, as 86 percent of consumers prioritize authenticity when determining their preferences and support for brands.
When executed correctly, incorporating user-generated content into your marketing strategy enhances brand trust, boosts website traffic, and fosters customer advocacy. Utilize this guide to integrate UGC into your marketing approach.
User Generated Content
User-generated content refers to any form of content that is created by individuals who are not being paid, such as contributors, customers, or enthusiasts. This resembles the concept of word-of-mouth marketing, where others share positive feedback about your brand with their acquaintances. In the context of user-generated content, people are sharing recommendations and praises about your business on online platforms. Below are some instances illustrating user-generated content:
- Reviews or testimonials: These could be on your site, on external review sites or in discussion boards.
- Blogs or vlogs: For example, a fashion influencer reviewing a make-up product on their site.
- Social media posts: Mentioning or tagging your brand on their social media accounts. In many cases, this is accompanied by a product photo.
UGC Checklist for Small Businesses
To start, generate ideas of the most applicable third-party review sites or platforms for your specific industry and niche to establish the whereabouts of your target audience. In the case of restaurants, Yelp would be suitable, whereas for small, local service providers, Angie’s List could be the appropriate choice.
Firstly, consult the Hubspot List to discover your social media allocation. Then, ascertain the social media platforms that are most applicable and favored by your specific audience. If your business revolves around crafting, chances are Pinterest will be your ideal choice, whereas B2B companies tend to focus on LinkedIn.
Take a moment to perform a brief audit of the profiles on your review sites. In the event that you have not yet established a profile on popular review platforms such as Yelp or Google MyBusiness, there is a possibility that users have already written reviews on your unclaimed page. Make sure to claim your business listing, make any necessary updates to your contact information, and upload high-quality images.
To ensure that your audience can access your social profiles, it is important to clean up your social media presence.
If you want people to easily find you when they are writing a review on social media or mentioning your brand, include links to your social profiles on your website. Make sure to choose a handle for your business that closely resembles its name, if you don’t already have social profiles, so that customers can readily locate you through searches.
Where to Find Content from Your Customers
When you begin searching, you will discover that valuable UGC can be found in various places. It is common to focus only on the negative aspects, such as negative reviews or complaints from dissatisfied customers. However, when seeking user-generated content, you can also observe the beneficial effects of your brand. To gather UGC, visit the following locations:
- Reviews: If you have review functionality on your own site (more on that later), simply scroll through and find the best reviews to highlight. Don’t forget to check external site reviews. Note that this also gives you the opportunity to address any negative reviews, which is valuable for your brand perception.
- Social media mentions: Search for any posts that you’ve been tagged in. For Facebook, this is in the insights section. For Twitter, it’s a mention. You can also search by your brand/product name, location or hashtags.
- Other testimonials: Do a quick Google search of your company or product name and see if it comes up anywhere else. You may find blog post reviews or mentions of your brand in articles this way. Also use this time to set up a Google Alert for your brand name, so you never miss a great piece of UGC.
How can UGC help small business
The Share a Coke campaign is a prime example that demonstrates the influence of user-generated content. However, this concept can also be adapted on a smaller level to benefit local and independent small businesses. Key advantages of UGC for small businesses encompass:
The great thing about UGC is that your customers are promoting your business for you, which means it’s like free marketing.
The power of word of mouth recommendations is well-known to all of us. However, UGC effectively transfers this concept to the online realm, as users willingly become ‘brand advocates’ who can influence others to purchase from your business without requiring any marketing budget from you.
When it comes to trust, third party opinions about your business are considered more genuine by potential customers because they are not influenced by monetary compensation. In fact, UGC is viewed as approximately 2.5 times more authentic than branded content. In essence, it is more beneficial to have satisfied customers promoting your business rather than promoting it yourself.
95% of people aged 18-34 read reviews before purchasing from a business, which is why reading reviews before buying can help customers have confidence in their decision to buy from you.
Using user-generated content is a valuable way to gather feedback for your business. It serves as a barometer to understand what aspects of your products customers like and occasionally dislike, as well as how they utilize them. This feedback can be utilized to enhance your business.
When there is excitement surrounding your business or products, it fosters a sense of community. This community of supporters may engage with each other and generate a genuine movement such as the fans of Oatly, known as the ‘Post-Milk Generation,’ who generate a significant amount of user-generated content on social media. To observe this phenomenon, you can explore the Oatly hashtag on Instagram.
If you’re trying to come up with a new product name, your user base is the perfect place to seek ideas. It can serve as an excellent source of inspiration.
How to encourage user-generated content
Once convinced of the advantages of user-generated content, how can your small business actively participate in this practice? Here are a few recommendations for motivating your customers to create their own content related to your business.
1. Encourage reviews
Were you aware of the fact that online reviews are trusted by eighty-five percent of consumers just as much as personal recommendations? This makes reviews an immensely valuable form of user-generated content. To promote customers to leave a review, there are several approaches available.
In order to gather reviews for each product page, it would be beneficial to introduce a feature that allows customers to leave reviews. After online sales, it would be helpful to send a follow-up email to request feedback from satisfied customers. Additionally, it would be effective to kindly ask happy customers on social media for their reviews. Moreover, offering an incentive like a small discount off their next purchase could further motivate customers to leave a review.
If you want to make the most use of reviews posted on your website or on external sites like Google, Facebook, or TripAdvisor, you can select some of the top ones and incorporate them into various sections of your website (with permission). This will serve as testimonials and enhance the trustworthiness of potential customers.
2. Create a hashtag for social media
To generate user-created content easily, utilize social media. Prompt individuals to discuss your brand by introducing a hashtag for them to employ while sharing pictures of your products.
Boden uses the #bodenbyme hashtag to select and showcase the best user-generated content on its homepage gallery. It is important to obtain user permission before featuring their content on your website. This simple method allows you to utilize UGC effectively by monitoring the hashtag and handpicking the images you prefer to repost.
3. Set a challenge
Do you remember the Ice Bucket Challenge?
It may have been a few years ago, but it is likely that you still remember, and either took part in it or knew many people who did.
By filming themselves pouring buckets of icy water over their heads and posting the videos on social media, people were able to raise an astonishing $41.8 million for charities that focus on motor neurone disease.
For instance, a prize can be offered for the finest photograph taken on a specific theme related to your business or one of your products, such as in a photo competition.
Top tips for UGC
To ensure fairness for all, here are some best practice tips for maximizing the benefits of user-generated content.
- Ask: While it’s fine to retweet and share social media posts, always ask the user’s permission before putting their content on your own website. If in doubt, drop them a direct message to check they’re happy for you to repost their content.
- Credit: If you’re sharing someone’s content, make sure you acknowledge them, linking to their user name as in this example from the official Royal Mail Instagram account.
- Engage: Take the time to like and comment on content about your brand, so the creator feels appreciated. If someone’s left a review, good or bad, then respond to it.
- Reward: Whether you offer regular prizes for the best contribution or you simply use your platform to help your fans increase their own following by reposting their efforts, it’s good to acknowledge the effort people have gone to on your behalf.
- Monitor: Don’t just keep an eye on the hashtag you created or posts you’re tagged in – do regular searches for your business and products, as people may be talking about them without using the ‘official’ hashtag.
Please rephrase the text below while maintaining the same meaning. Do not add new information and do not remove any information. [Text]: “Side notes: Make sure to follow the instructions carefully and take notes if needed. Remember to stay focused and take one step at a time. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Additionally, if you encounter any difficulties, don’t get discouraged. Stay positive and keep trying until you succeed.”
Repurposing reviews from UGC for your social media and content calendar is relatively easy. Reviews and testimonials also serve as validations for potential customers and clients. Moreover, when consumers ponder whether to support or follow a new brand, they actively seek out UGC.
